The WEIRDest People in the World

About “The WEIRDest People in the World”

The WEIRDest People in the World is a 2020 book by Harvard professor Joseph Henrich. The book examines how psychological traits and historical institutions have shaped Western societies. Henrich uses cultural evolution and evolutionary psychology to explain why Westerners think and behave differently from people in other parts of the world. He focuses on how Catholic Church policies on marriage, starting in the 4th century, weakened kin-based social structures. This shift, according to Henrich, led to the development of more analytical and individualistic thinking in Western cultures. The book explores the relationship between institutional changes and psychological differences over time. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)